| This is a special (temporary) diet that my be recommended by your veterinarian. It is often recommended as a temporary diet for diagnosing food allergies. Your veterinarian may also recommend this as a temporary diet for treatment of gastro-intestinal problems. Depending upon the recommendations of your veterinarian, the potatoes may be substituted by white rice. | |
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Step 1. The basic ingredients comprise a single protein source and a single carbohydrate source. Frozen meats or fish are the cheapest options, but the choice of ingredients must be based on the animal’s previous dietary history. |
Step 2. Excess fat should be removed from meat sources to reduce the chance of digestive upsets. |
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Step 3. The meat or fish can be microwaved, baked or boiled. |
Step 4. The cooked meat should be broken up into small fragments using a mixer or food processor (this is not necessary if minces are purchased). |
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Step 5. The carbohydrate source can be boiled, steamed or microwaved. |
Step 6. Final appearance of the meat and carbohydrate sources prior to mixing. |
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Step 7. The meat and carbohydrate — in a ratio of 1 part meat to 2 parts carbohydrate — should be thoroughly mixed together so that they cannot be separated by the animal. Using a food processor at this stage can lead to a diet that lacks texture due to a very small particle size. |
Step 8. The final diet should be weighed into appropriate sized portions for the particular animal. The bags of food can then be frozen until use. |
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Step 9. For small dogs and cats, it is possible to prepare the diet in weekly batches. For larger dogs, more frequent cooking is required. |
This type of home-cooked bland diet is often fed to animals with specific food allergies and / or digestive tract problems.Due to the fact that this diet is deficient in various minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients, please consult your veterinarian before using it as a substitute for commercial pet food. |
